This copy is for your personal non-commercial use only. To order presentation-ready copies of Toronto Star content for distribution to colleagues, clients or customers, or inquire about permissions/licensing, please go to: www.TorontoStarReprints.com

Crumbling schools a learning issue, not just a cosmetic one

Studies prove schools in disrepair have a negative impact on learning

A Toronto District School Board report shows Jesse Ketchum Jr. and Sr. Public School needs eight urgent repairs. "A Cornell University study looked at more than 230 New York City middle schools and found a connection between rundown schools and low-test scores," writes Catherine Little. (Steve Russell / Toronto Star) | Order this photo

By Catherine Little

Sun., Aug. 28, 2016

Do your children routinely run to the bathroom as soon as they get home from school because, unless it is an absolute emergency, they would rather “hold it” all day than venture into the school washroom? Mine has and I don’t blame him. There are a lot of school bathrooms that could use a little work.

Recently, the Ontario Ministry of Education revealed that more than $15 billion would be needed to repair schools. Of the 72 school boards, Toronto District schools had the worst average scores. Earlier, TDSB had released detailed information about the physical condition of its 588 schools. The repair backlog was estimated at a staggering $3.4 billion dollars.

Using an industry standard called The Facility Condition Index, over one-third of schools were found to be in “critical” condition. TDSB chair, Robyn Pilkey “stressed the numbers don’t have anything to do with safety.” But I think they do have an impact on learning.

ScienceDaily recently highlighted two 2016 studies that show how big an impact this backlog might have and I hope Education Minister Mitzie Hunter had a careful look at them.

A Cornell University study looked at more than 230 New York City middle schools and found a connection between rundown schools and low-test scores. After controlling for socioeconomic status and ethnic background, professor Lorraine Maxwell found that, “… poor building conditions, and the resulting negative perception of the school’s social climate, accounted for 70 per cent of the poor academic performance.”

Article Continued Below

Students noticed things like leaky toilets and rundown classrooms. This lead to negativity about the school atmosphere and higher absenteeism, which in turn lead to missing classes and lower test scores. It’s pretty hard to learn if you aren’t present. I bet spending time everyday wondering if you have to go to the bathroom badly enough to use the school facility didn’t help either.

The other study, by Carolyn Côté-Lussier and Caroline Fitzpatrick appeared in the Journal of Adolescent Health and looked at how feelings of safety affected school achievement. No surprise — they found students did better when they felt safer at school. This included issues such as bullying but also included physical features.

In fact, Fitzpatrick noted, “Finally, parents, schools and communities can become advocates for wider environmental interventions that aim to improve the physical features of school and student neighbourhoods.”

I’ve been in my share of schools that feel more like abandoned dungeons than places of learning. Peeling paint, crumbling ceilings and poor lighting don’t lead to feelings of safety.

There is, however, a wide discrepancy in the state of the schools and it doesn’t correlate to the wealth of a neighbourhood. A lot of it is just a function of age. The TDSB owns a lot of old buildings. Some schools, such as Thomas L. Wells P.S. in Scarborough, don’t need repairs because they are fairly new. Meanwhile, Park Lane P.S. in the Bridle Path needs numerous high-priority and urgent repairs.

So, if you are lucky enough to live in a neighbourhood with a new school, you have an advantage. If you are wondering whether you should make sure there is a clear path to the bathroom when your child returns from school each day, you can search for your school in the Ontario School Facility Condition Index data base. More detailed information is available about TDSB schools on the Renewal Needs Backlog and Facility Condition Index section of their website.

Making information about the backlog and specific schools public is one thing but doing something about it is another. The $15 billion price tag is a staggering amount for a country, never mind a province facing severe budget constraints — another reason it is unconscionable that so much money has been wasted in the past. All students, regardless of where they live, should be able to spend their school day in a facility that is safe, clean and in good repair. It’s their responsibility to learn. It’s ours to make sure they have a reasonable place to learn in.

Catherine Little is a Toronto-based educator and consultant who writes about parenting, education and diversity.

Delivered dailyThe Morning Headlines Newsletter

The Toronto Star and thestar.com, each property of Toronto Star Newspapers Limited, One Yonge Street, 4th Floor, Toronto, ON, M5E 1E6. You can unsubscribe at any time. Please contact us or see our privacy policy for more information.

More from the Toronto Star & Partners

LOADING

Copyright owned or licensed by Toronto Star Newspapers Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or distribution of this content is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Toronto Star Newspapers Limited and/or its licensors. To order copies of Toronto Star articles, please go to: www.TorontoStarReprints.com